Development

Several ICT related organisations demand price should be fixed at Tk0.10/day per Megabyte and Tk10/day per Gigabyte

Several information and communications technology (ICT) related organisations, on Wednesday, announced they would stage protests from June 12 and demonstrate in front of the telecom regulator’s office, threatening continued sit-ins, if demands for reduction of internet prices for end users are not met.

In a press conference they demanded Internet price should be fixed at Tk0.10/day per Megabyte and Tk10/day per Gigabyte, within 15 days.

Shipping ministry wary about approaching World Bank or Asian Development Bank

The government is wary of approaching the World Bank or the Asian Development Bank for funding of the $2.28bn (Tk177.5bn) deep sea port as suggested by its consulting firm, apparently because of the Padma bridge funding scandal.

The PMIS is a secure system for authorised users only and is managed and maintained by the Public Administration Computer Centre (PACC) of the public administration ministry
The Ministry of Public Administration will be introducing an online Personal Management Information System (PMIS) with the help of a database software to register all cadre officers of the country.

Detailed information of all Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) cadre officers, who are serving in different ministries, directorates, departments, organisations and offices, will be stored in this system, including information on deputy secretaries and higher officials.

The company has deposited the proposed security money of $3m for the Bibiyana 1 project
The fate of Bibiyana 341MW power plant project 1 will be decided at a joint meeting between the government and Summit Group on June 20.

The decision was taken at a meeting yesterday, an official of power division confirmed the Dhaka Tribune.

The credit for Bangladesh along with three major projects will be approved by the WB board in mid June

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has said the World Bank (WB) has promised a yearly credit of 1.2 billion dollar including $500m as budget support in social safety net programmes for the next fiscal year.

The credit for Bangladesh along with three major projects will be approved by the WB board in mid June, Muhith told reporters after a meeting with Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Country Director M Teresa Kho at his secretariat office Monday.

In the meeting, they discussed ADB-funded projects, especially the one for capital market strengthening.

The 90-pound rail can carry a maximum of 22.5-tonne axle load; the load on two connected wheels on two sides is called one axle load

Poor upgrades of two vital rail routes, agreed to by the premiers of Bangladesh and India, might fail to help the free flow of goods between three South Asian countries.

The two routes – Rajshahi-Rohanpur-Singhabad and the Parbatipur-Birol-Radhikapur – could open up huge cross-boundary trade opportunities involving Bangladesh, India and Nepal.

The Bangladesh Railway has decided to use 90-pound rail (one metre of rail weighing 90 pounds) on the two routes, which is not fit to carry heavier Indian wagons with 22.9-tonne axle load, experts say.

The two-day second partnership dialogue between Dhaka and Washington begins today to discuss four broad areas of cooperation: trade and investment, governance and development, security cooperation and regional integration.

Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque will lead the Bangladesh delegation while US State Department under secretary for political affairs Wendy Sherman heads the US side.

Bangladesh needs to consider the European Union (EU) threat to withdraw its duty-free, quota-free (DFQT) access to the EU market seriously and act promptly as the EU might take serious decisions dealing a big blow to the RMG sector in particular and the economy in general, experts said.

Now we go to the UP chairman office to get latest information on fertilisers from the internet: Gaibandha farmers.
Use of the internet is gaining popularity among the rural people of Gaibandha, who are increasingly preferring the global computer network to traditional modes of communication for accessing information.

“I didn’t understand the internet earlier and didn’t hear much about it. But now we go to the UP chairman office to get latest information on fertilisers from the internet. It’s easier to use than I thought it would be,” said farmer Jalal Uddin, of Mirpur village under Sahapara Union of Sadar upazila.

This link would also be vital for the Trans – Asian Railway Network (TAR), of which both India and Bangladesh are members. As part of TAR, India has been constructing a 350km rail link from Jiribam (India) to Moreh (Myanmar)—a link Bangladesh can be benefitted from.

Rail officials of Bangladesh and India sit today in Dhaka to work out a plan to implement the Akhaura-Agartala rail link, which will allow Delhi to connect with its seven north-eastern states.

India’s rail officials say that Delhi is moving for rapid implementation of their much-sought rail link which the two neighbours believe will open up a new era of business opportunities and people-to-people contact in the region.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said only the judicious settlement of disputes and management of water resources could resolve the global conflicts over water.

“Through the ages water has led to human conflicts all over the world. Some are still going on. Only judicious settlement of access to and management of water resources is the solution to these conflicts, and for peace,” she said underlining the need for water management frameworks and knowledge-sharing networks for cooperation.

REB has taken a high interest loan from JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) for the work, according to project document

Rural Electrification Board (REB) will build 50 new substations and upgrade 30 existing ones under 33 Palli Biddyut Samitys (PBSs) in four divisions of the country with an estimated cost of Tk4.16bn, an official said.

“The proposals for the four JICA-funded projects were approved in the meeting of cabinet committee on public purchase,” said joint secretary of the cabinet division Nurul Karim on Sunday after the meeting.

The DEMU train will permanently ply on Chittagong route from May 25 next

The country's first-ever commuter train service started its trial journey on Chittagong-Fouzdarhat route Saturday morning.

Mizanur Rahman, Assistant Director of Public Relations of Bangladesh Railway, east zone, told BSS that the Diesel Electric Multiple Units (DEMU) train left Pahartali Railway Station of the city around 10 am.

"It returned to the same station at 12.50pm today after completing trial", he said adding that it was the first time that DEMU is plying here in Bangladesh.

The growing interests of the landlocked states have prompted Bangladesh to initiate modernisation of the country’s second sea port at Mongla, Khulna which, experts say, has the potential to emerge as a South Asian regional port.

Bangladesh Railway has undertaken a project to link the port with the country’s railway network of over 28,000km, aimed at facilitating movement of goods to and from the landlocked states of Nepal, Bhutan and some states of India.

Experts at the farmers training and field day programme on Wednesday expressed satisfaction about the expansion of farming Banglamati, a modern rice variety. Cultivation of this variety will increase rice production and ensure food security under adverse climatic conditions, they opined.